Innovation Lab 2024: Exploring Innovative Approaches to Global Water & Climate Challenges
Event Summary
This year OCIC’s Innovation Lab 2024 will offer a unique in-person opportunity for people and organizations interested in reflecting upon their relationship to water and climate issues.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, February 10, 2024
Time: 10:00am to 7:00pm EST
Location: Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo
Language: English
This year OCIC’s Innovation Lab 2024 will offer a unique in-person opportunity for people and organizations interested in reflecting upon their relationship to water and climate issues in local and global contexts, and in building and sharing their knowledge and understanding to join OCIC and partners at the University of Waterloo. This full-day event is intended for participants in Kitchener-Waterloo, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Guelph and Hamilton, including:
- Youth (18-35 years), educators, academics and community innovators/mobilizers
- Representatives of community-based initiatives and groups, international cooperation and environmental sector and other interested organizations and institutions
- Others who are active and/or interested in advancing and connecting to global efforts on water and climate issues.
A limited number of travel subsidies to support economy class ground travel to Kitchener-Waterloo from Hamilton-area are available for selected participants. Likewise, participants from the GTA and Guelph may be eligible to travel to the Innovation Lab on a bus rented by OCIC, departing from a TTC pick-up point in north-west Toronto (on Line 1) and passing through Guelph.
About the Event:
According to the World Health Organization, a staggering 2.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water services, while 4.5 billion people face the absence of safely managed sanitation services. The stark reality is that water scarcity already impacts four out of every 10 individuals, and an alarming 90% of all-natural disasters are water-related. Compounding these issues is the fact that 80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused, posing further environmental and health risks. Recognizing the urgency of these challenges, the global community has launched the Water Action Decade (2018-2028), committing to energize existing programs and projects to achieve the 2030 Agenda, particularly the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: clean water and sanitation for all. The UN Secretary-General’s Plan for the Water Action Decade outlines an ambitious effort to advance progress across sectors.
In alignment with this global initiative, This year OCIC’s Innovation Lab 2024: ‘Exploring Innovative Approaches to Global Water Challenges’ will offer a unique in-person opportunity for people and organizations interested in reflecting upon their relationship to water and climate issues in local and global contexts, and in building and sharing their knowledge and understanding to join OCIC and partners at the University of Waterloo.
Thank you to the Contributors:
– Ashley Anthony, Regional Engagement Coordinator, Climate Reality Project Canada
– Shehara Athukorala, Learning & Impact Specialist, OCIC
– Kimberly Gibbons, Executive Director, OCIC
– Vlad Gomez, Facilitator, OCIC
– Leah Jones-Crank, Assistant Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at University of Waterloo
– Sarah Kowalczyk, Graduate Student, University of Waterloo
– Ejiro Movoria, Graduate Student, University of Waterloo
– Justin Murgai, CEO, WaterAid
– Dr. Larry Swatuk, Professor, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, University of Waterloo
– Dr. Lina Taing, Senior Researcher, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)
– Likhitha Varikuti, Graduate Student, University of Waterloo
– Mishka Watin, Communications and Community Engagement Intern, OCIC
